Overview
With nearly 600 courses in 66 fields, the Harvard Extension School offers numerous paths to personal enrichment and professional development. Our classes are open to students with various backgrounds and academic experience; the only general requirement is a commitment to your own potential and a willingness to meet the academic challenge.
Faculty
Whether you choose to study cell biology, modern art, calculus, or computer programming, you will learn from the best. World-class instruction sets the Extension School apart. Harvard faculty and affiliates, lecturers from area universities, and community and business leaders bring their unique styles and valuable expertise to the classroom. On a scale of one (low) to five (high), our faculty consistently are rated an average of 4.5 by their students.
Some are Harvard College professors who teach the same courses in the Extension School that they do in the College. Others draw on their practice in the field. They teach through exploration of coastal environments and through project management case studies that prepare students for leadership positions. They use karate to illustrate the principles of physics and take students to Ireland to tour its literary landscape. Incorporating guest lectures, museum visits, and demonstrations, they prepare students to apply the lessons of the classroom to their work and their lives.
Students
Whether you take one class or several, you'll also learn from fellow students. They come equipped with degrees--doctorates, masters, bachelors--or abundant life experience. Averaging 33 years old, our students hail from around the globe, representing many regions of the United States and 111 countries. In classes, nondegree students sit alongside those seeking undergraduate or graduate credit for degrees or certificates.
Courses
Whether you test the waters before applying to a program or take courses for enjoyment, Harvard offers a breadth of possibility. Our online courses such as ENGL E-101 The History and Structure of the English Language, BIOL E-106 Neurobiology, and CSCI E-138 Internet Technologies are videotaped lectures supplemented with extensive course websites and multimedia. Courses held on campus meet in historic Harvard buildings a short walk from Harvard Square. New offerings include ANTH E-169 Anthropology and Human Rights, CSCI E-149 Computational Techniques for Computer Games, FORE E-155 Culture and Society in Modern Arabic Fiction, and ACCT E-130 Accounting, Auditing, and Ethical Standards.
Students who choose to concentrate their studies in one discipline may receive an Extension School citation for their gained knowledge or competency. Citations can be earned in multimedia and digital content, international management, and fiction writing, among others.
Programs
Our degree and certificate programs are designed to meet the needs of the adult student, balancing academic rigor with flexibility and value. You can work toward your goals by earning a degree or certificate part time in the evening, at a pace that complements your lifestyle.
Liberal arts degrees combine a classic curriculum with opportunities for practical training and application, priming students to be successful in academic and professional arenas. Graduate professional degrees prepare students to become specialists in a variety of competitive fields. Certificate programs are focused and intensive, ideal for those with undergraduate degrees who seek training to advance careers or change direction altogether.
With their Harvard University diploma or certificate in hand, our graduates go on to the finest and most competitive graduate schools in the country and to rewarding, successful careers in many professions.
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